The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-06-23
NEW CANNIBAL TRIBES.
Discoveries Of Captain Van Gsls Along thu
Great Mobangi River.

Discoveries Of Captain Van Gsls Along the
Great Mobangi River.
Last fall, says the New York Sun, the
Congo State sent Captain Van Gele, one of
SANKEY'S favorite officers, in the steamer
Henry Reed to make further explorations
upon the Mobangi river, the great northern
afiuent Of the Congo, whose importance
Mr.. Grenfell was the first to discover. Van
Gele did not ascend the river quite
ss far as Grenfell, being prevented
by rapids through which Grenfell had
been able TO push his steamer at low
water when the current waS slower. He,
however, took time to explore, while Gren.
fells journey was nothing moro than hur-
ried reconnaissance. Van Gele made some
very interesting discoveries. He found, foI
instance. three little tributaries, up which he
pushed his steamer for total distance of 2O7
estimated that the Mobangi itself added only
about $50 miles to the navieable waters Of
the Congo basin. Now the problem 10 whether
the MobanG or the Kassai deserves distinc-
On the Nshifi sffiuent Of the the Iiver, and
also on the Mobangi, about 800 miles from
it, mouth, Van Gele found the most densely
populated districts he had seen in Africa.
The left bank Of the great dyer was an unin-
teR5upted succession Of villages for about
seventy miles; Those who imagine that the
depths Of Africa are an almost yoiceless so1-
tude should read Van Gele's brief account o.
the animation and hustle he witnessed all
along this populous river.
The scene on the river in the morning, he
says, u one Of extraordinary animation. He
often met q many as 800 canoes swiftly
were chiefly filled with women and children.
The women were leaving the village TO 60 to
the fields and begin the agricultural lab0rs Of
the day. Other parties in the canoes were
setting out for the fish nets, TO gather In the
hnny harvest that had collected since the
the land yields rich returns Of ali tropical
produce, and Thousands Of natives along the
river do not know what famine means.
They have, besides, food resources upon
which most Of the world cannot count, e
these natives are among the greatest Of can't
Quite q number Of men accompany the
women to the fields, but not to take part in
hlling the soil. They let the women monopo-
lie the rude iron hoes. while the men stand
around with weapons In their hands to pro-
tect the toiler. Without protection there 10
always dangar that the women will bs sur
against one another for the sole purpose Of
securing Victims for their cennibal fcasts.
Captain Van Gele says that all the enemies
they KILN battle are eaten, and that the same
fate soon overtakes the prisoner they carry
homo with them. Before the exploration Of
the Congo valley the bslisf was widespread
that cannibalism had greatly decreased, and
that there Wers comparatively few people
who were still sddictsd 70 the hOrrid prac-
tce. In Ill bis trayels, Livingstone neyeI
saw oannibal tribe with the possible
exception Of the Hsuyema. But the opening
up Of the Congo basin has revealed the facl
that the world nsvsr knew before wherl
canuihalism . most prevalent. There AN
undoubtedly hundreds Of Thousands ol
people ~ That region among whom calni;
habit.
Captain Van 0sle says thst nowhere In
Africa has he seen fisheries Of equal extent
except at Stanley Falls. The stakes marking
the poaition Of the nets cover many acres
All thess tribes are tall and powerful, and In
form they splendid spscimsnso Of physica
b0outV.